At the other end of the leaderboard, Repetto Taylor’s compatriot John Rahm has made a bold start. But he misses a 7 foot birdie look at 15 and remains -1. He already looks a danger for the field and he was, remember, second in the PGA Championship last month.
Yikes. Spain’s Rocco Repeto Taylor is +10 through 12 holes. He’s made five pars, but his four bogeys and three double bogeys have mounted up. It’s a tough gig for a fellow who has just one top 10 on the DP World Tour. Let’s hope he can summon some Rocco Mediate vibes – the man who. remember, pushed Tiger Woods to an 18-hole play-off in 2008.
Matt Fitzpatrick coaxes his birdie putt at 17 into the hole. He’s now back to level-par after a couple of early hiccups.
Reality strikes for Ryder Cowan. He can only scratch a bogey onto his card at the 251-yard par-3 2nd. It’s his 11th and he falls back into a share of the lead on -2.
-2: Stevens (F), Cowan (11*), Clark (6*), Schauffele (6) Four players on -1
The Bristolian twang of Matt Fitzpatrick’s caddie Dan Parratt is caught by TV. The pair are discussing the tee shot at the 185-yard 17th and. as a Bristolian might say, “She’s a good club.” Fitzpatrick has 14 feet for birdie. He’s +1 after making a birdie at the par-5 16th.
The USGA has a history of being playful with the first. second round groups - and they’re at it again this year. They’ve put the Frenchmen Adrien Saddier and Ugo Coussaud with the American Jackson Van Paris. That’s a fun group. 12 years ago another three-ball - Kevin Stadler (USA), Brendon De Jonge (Zimbabwe) and Shane Lowry - fell flat. They were nicknamed ‘The Heavyweights’ by Stadler’s caddie. “When I saw it, I was pretty annoyed,” said Lowry. “I think it’s very cheeky of the USGA to do what they’ve done. I don’t think it’s fair to the three of us. It’s a mockery, to be honest.” Stadler called it “a little mean and insensitive”.
The “French” group are playing well. They played the back nine first, with Saddier and Van Paris completing it in level-par and Coussaud +1. Tres bien.
Here’s Scottie Scheffler on his +2 start earlier today: “It was a really challenging day. If you told me when I was staring at my (6 foot) par putt on 9 that I would post 2-over today. I would definitely have taken it at the time. Overall, it was a good battle. Get some rest, and we’ll see how the course changes over the next day.”
Ryder Cowan very nearly extends his advantage at the 1st (which is his 10th). He had 49 foot 5 inch putt to the cup, it travelled 49 feet 8 inches,. it finished 1 inch away. Nice par, though. Terrific start for the amateur.
Wyndham Clark knocks in a 14 foot par putt at 15 to stay at -2. The American changed his putter a month ago. He immediately felt able to take advantage of the good form he had been showing with his long game. promptly won The CJ Cup.
Justin Rose, of course, is a past champion of the US Open (in 2013). But he’s struggled with the USGA-set test in recent years, missing the cut in five of the last six editions.
Alas, Matt Fitzpatrick’s birdie putt slips by. Fellow Englishman Justin Rose. however, drains a 29 foot birdie putt at 13 to atone for a bogey at 10, his first hole of the day.
Sometimes the biggest threat in golf is not putting, but putting your foot in your mouth. Matt Fitzpatrick was alive to it ahead of the Masters, saying that the ideal mindset is high confidence. low expectation. Well, he was alive enough to say that – and then he talked of fancying his chances. Wack, wack, oops. This week, he told the press: “I don’t particularly like playing birdie-fests.” He’s now +2 through five,. he has an 11 foot birdie opportunity coming up at 15.
Thanks Dave. I’ve just noticed that Justin Thomas has opened with three bogeys in his first four holes. The Kentucky man has a terrible recent record in his national championship, missing the cut in his last three starts, carding 73-81, 77-74. 76-76.
He’s got a fight on his hands to avoid making it four missed weekends in a row.
With an amateur leading the 126th US Open, I’ll make way for Matt Cooper to guide you home. Can Ryder Cowan keep it going or will the raft of major champions bubbling under just beneath him show their class as the afternoon goes on?
Amateur star Ryder Cowan now leads on his own at -3. The 21-year-old hails from windy Oklahoma so perhaps that explains his surprise position at the top of the leaderboard. He’s reached -3 after compiling red circles at 12, 14 and 17.
Back at 12, Jon Rahm drains a 25-footer to move to -1. Also on that number is links-loving Scotsman Robert MacIntyre after chipping in from off the green at 3. Could he go one better after finishing runner-up at Oakmont 12 months ago?
LIV’s other big superstar, Bryson DeChambeau, has had a curious year in the majors, missing the cut in both The Masters. PGA. But in his previous eight he’d pieced together a win, two seconds, a fifth, a sixth. a 10th so surely we’ve been in blip territory so far in 2026. It seems that way as here at Shinnecock he’s now stalking a 12-foot putt to take the lead. The arms stiffen. point down in that unique putting style of his but the stroke lacks sufficient pace and it’s only a par. Still, Bryson is a wounded animal in the majors. is definitely a dangerman in the one that’s given him the most success.
Jon Rahm has to sink a couple of testy par putts to stay evens for the first two holes. The Spaniard won this event at Torrey Pines in 2021, was runner-up in last month’s PGA Championsip. also took second at LIV Golf Valderrama on home Spanish soil two weeks ago. Many fancy him for a big week and rightly so.
Xander Schauffele’s US Open record is quite frankly ridiculous. Even the very, very best have blemishes on their record in this event. these are Schauffele’s US Open finishes, starting with his top five on debut in 2017:
5-6-3-5-7-14-10-7-12
Yep, nothing worse than 14th in nine starts, seven of those top 10s. After making the big breakthough with two major wins in 2024, he’s been a bit subdued this year. But this all a long-winded way of saying he’s at it again in a US Open. two early birdies moving him into a tie for the lead. Eight players share top spot.
-2: Stevens (F), Cowan (6*), Stout (4), Rai (4*), DeChambeau (4*), Clark (3*), Schauffele (3), Horschel (2)
Aaron Rai is leading a major again! The man from Wolverhampton. who pulled off a shock win in the PGA Championship at Aronimink last month, has started par-birdie-par-birdie to share top spot. The 31-year-old has finished 19th (2024). 33rd (2025) in his two US Open so has shown he can perform in this event too. Since that breakthrough win at Aronimink he’s played just twice, finishing 19th at Memorial. missing the cut in last week’s Canadian Open. It’s very early days but Rai may just have another huge week up his sleeve.
As I write this, there’s now a six-way tie for the lead after the contrasting figures of Bryson DeChambeau. amateur Preston Stout also hit -2.
Wyndham Clark may have extra motivation to play well this week. Sure. he wants to win the US Open for a second time after taking the title at Los Angeles Country Club in 2023. But there’s also last year’s memory to expunge when he smashed up a locker at Oakmont Country Club after missing the cut.
“That was a really challenging time. something I’ve deeply regretted and feel awful that I did that,” Clark said on Monday, looking down, picking at his shirt.
“But there were so many good lessons in that that really taught me a bunch. I’ve really come a long way. I’m excited for this year’s (US) Open for some redemption and to move forward and enjoy the challenges of Shinnecock.”
It’s a birdie-birdie start for Wyndham Clark and that puts him tied for the lead. Here’s the latest. You’ll notice several major winners have made a quick start to their afternoon rounds – Rai, DeChambeau, Schauffele and Lowry.
-2: Stevens (F). Cowan (6*), Clark (2*) -1: McIlroy (F), Åberg (F), Greyserman (F), Harman (F), James (F), Stout (3), Rai (3*), Fox (3), DeChambeau (3*), Schauffele (2), Lowry (1*)
Scottie Scheffler pars the last for a 2-over 72. It’s a solid finish by the man on top of the OWGR. rather adds to the belief that he’s just a bit off this year. The high finishes keep coming. no wins since he landed The American Express on his first start of the season back in January is a real surprise. Still, 72 puts him very much in the hunt.
Defending champion J.J. Spaun has it all on to make the cut now after leaking oil throughout his round in a 7-over 77. Last year’s Oakmont hero has missed the cut in both majors this year. is currently tied 111th of the 126 players who have seen action today.
Adam Scott marks his stupendous tally of 100 straight majors with a 3-over 73, the same as Brooks Koepka. Not the best but not too bad on a day like this. Matt Cooper tells me that the player with the second longest active streak of majors is Jordan Spieth with 53. Which makes Scott’s ton look even more remarkable.
Mention of Spieth, who tees off in five minutes, reminds us that this year’s Open Championship is at Royal Birkdale. Spieth won the last Open held there in 2017.
We have a new joint-leader and it’s amateur Ryder Cowan. Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Parents obsessed by a certain biennial team event? Or maybe they were Doors fans. Then again, google tells me that Ryder is in the top 250 names for boys in the United States. His bio says: “The rising University of Oklahoma senior qualified for his first US Open by posting 6-under 138 at BallenIsles C.C. and then surviving a 3-for-2 playoff for the final spots.” He’s made a superb start to the day with birdies at 11. 13 in his first five holes.
Scottie Scheffler is approaching the clubhouse and he has the chance to do the opposite of McIlroy’s bogey-bogey-finish. The World No 1 birdied 17 from 12 feet to get back to +2. will be hoping to splash some more red at 18. It’s a long shot, literally, as he has 226 yards for his second but you never know. Regardless. a par will complete a decent day’s work with a 72 just four more swings than Sam Stevens’ pacesetting 68.
A quick analysis of McIlroy’s round. The Strokes Gained stats, the most accurate measure of who did what well, show that he was not great off the tee, hit his irons extremely well. rode a red-hot putter.
SG: Off The Tee – 59th (-0.17) SG: Approach – 9th (+1.82) SG: Putting – 1st (+3.19)
There are two ways of looking at that, of course. It’s great that he’s putting well but is it sustainable?
Rory McIlroy cuts a slightly disappointed figure as he bogeys the last. That’s dropped shots at his final two holes, both a result of missing the green. failing to get up and down. At 9, he can’t convert from nine feet. a 1-under 69 on this course in these conditions is an excellent effort however you look at it. When the annoyance of the bogey-bogey finish wears off. McIlroy may remind himself that he opened with an 80 in round one at Shinnecock in 2018. Playing partners Ludvig Åberg and Tommy Fleetwood also deserve a pat on the back and something nice for lunch. The Swede matches McIlroy’s 69 while Fleetwood holds firm for an even-par 70.
One of the marquee three-balls of the afternoon wave is hitting off. That’s Bryson DeChambeau, Viktor Hovland and Matt Fitzpatrick. Fun fact: between them they’ve won the last three even-numbered year US Opens: DeChambeau 2020 (Winged Foot). Fitzpatrick 2022 (Brookline), DeChambeau 2024 (Pinehurst No 2).
Matt Cooper talked earlier of Keith Mitchell’s round of two halves. He’s now completed it and what a remarkable contrast: out in 41, back in 29. Dodging the 30s on both nines somehow makes it seem even more extreme. You’d think a scorecard of 3-3-3-3-34-3-4-3 coming home would have put a spring in his step. Nope, Mitchell looked absolutely shattered as he walked off. Like a boxer who had spent the second half of the bout dodging, weaving. running away from Shinnecock’s barrage of heavy punches and yet somehow landing a bunch of his own.
McIlroy gives one back at 8, his 17th. His approach bounds over the green and a modest chip leaves a 16-foot par putt. It won’t go and Rory drops back to -2 after a third bogey of the day. Two clear not so long ago. he’s now tied for the lead with Sam Stevens, who has just birdied his final hole (the 9th) to sign for a superb 2-under 68.
McIlroy responds with a 325-yard drive to the right side of the 9th fairway. He’ll have 162 yards for his second.
We must pay tribute to Adam Scott who is playing in his 100th straight major today. That phenomenal streak started at the 2001 Open. Since then, he’s won The Masters and racked up no less than 45 top 25s. Nine of those were top fives. If he could have one back it would surely be the 2012 Open at Lytham where the Aussie bogeyed the final four holes. lost by a single shot to Ernie Els. Anyway, forget that, let’s celebrate the century. Raise your bat, Adam. Well played mate.
Ouch, 2018 Shinnecock hero Brooks Koepka finishes with a double bogey. A potential 71 turns into a 3-over 73. It’s still a fine effort but that closing hole will sting.
As Matt Cooper hands over, I notice that there is a Cooper Dossey in the field this week. It’s always good to go on the profiles of these unfamiliar players. a click on Cooper’s page reveals that his grandparents, Nub and Carolyn Donaldson, were USGA Rules officials. It’s easy to imagine the family scene on Christmas morning with 10-year-old Cooper excitedly ripping open his presents to discover that Nub. Carolyn have got him ‘The Rules of Golf’. Again. Grandpa, in his rocking chair, beams widely. Grandma leans in and whispers that it’s been signed by three different USGA officials. “Isn’t that swell. Cooper!” Cooper’s heart sinks further as Grandpa adds that he’ll be doing one of his “special quizzes” later.
With that, I’ll hand you back to Dave Tindall. The leaderboard looks like this,. here’s a question: Is it significant that the top five all played the back nine first?
-3: McIlroy (16*) -2: Stevens (F*), James (14*) -1:, Åberg (16*), Harman (14*)
Rory McIlroy’s tee shot at the 7th finds sand. From there, he leaves himself 8 feet for par and he jams it in. Two par-4s between the Northern Irishman and his lunch.
Scottie Scheffler’s up. down round continues, this time with a wonderful approach to 14 that leaves him 4 feet for birdie. He’s seeking a third birdie of the day to make up for three bogeys and one double bogey. And he makes it. He’s 2-under for the round and ever-determined to squeeze whatever he can from a bad day at the office.
As the morning wave rounds complete, the afternoon starters are beginning to leave the 1st and 10th tees. The revised times are two hours later than they were prior to the morning disruption.
Look, waggle. Look, waggle. Look waggle. Look, waggle. Look, waggle. Yep, 2023 Open champion Brian Harman makes birdie at 5. He’s 1-under through 14 holes.
Rory McIlroy has 28 feet for birdie at the 6th. He sets it out to the right. neither the contours of the green or the wind brings it back to the hole. A safe par, however.
Tommy Fleetwood, meanwhile, taps in for a birdie and that’s two in a row for him. He’s back to level-par for the round.
Sam Stevens is the clubhouse leader – and a birdie at 9 gets him back to 2-under. His 68 included six birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey. The latter came on his first hole of the day which would show great resilience in any normal week,. up against the toughest test in golf that is remarkable.
Last year’s US Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley has made birdie at 15 to join the little group on 1-under. He won the Travelers Championship the week after last year’s US Open. was soon afterwards T7 in August’s Tour Championship. But that difficult Ryder Cup followed and he has not found a top 10 since.
Meanwhile, a solid blow to the heart of the 6th green for Rory McIlroy.
The answer to the pub quiz question (17.43)? It was “Which Continental European nation can (kind of) lay claim to 176 professional wins, including no less than 21 major championships?” The World Cup was the clue. the country has just drawn with South Africa.
We had multiple shouts for Germany and France. But the answer is Czechia. this is why: Bernhard Langer (126 professional wins, 2 majors, 12 senior majors) is the son of a Czech father. Alex Cejka (19 professional wins, 3 seniors majors). his father fled Czechia by foot and water in a manner that calls to mind a John Le Carre plot. Sandra Gal (1 professional win) is the daughter of Czech parents. Jessica (6 professional wins) and Nelly Korda (24 professional wins, 4 majors) are the daughters of Czech parents. And Klara Spilkova (2 professional wins) actually is Czech. It’s obviously a sneakily trick question but it’s quite an intriguing one. Quietly, Prague might be a secret golfing hotspot. Nelly, of course, has just won the US Women’s Open.
Ludvig Åberg cannot make birdie at 5 and Stevens misses his par putt at 8. Rory McIlroy is two clear. only five golfers in this morning wave are currently under-par, as Rickie Fowler joins the small party.
-3: McIlroy (14*) -1: Stevens (17*), Fowler (15), Åberg (14*), James (12*)
Suddenly, Rory McIlroy’s eagle putt could be for a two-shot lead. That’s because the leader Sam Stevens has 6 feet for par on his 17th hole of the day. So what of the Masters champion? He prowls the hole, settles behind the ball and then pops the putt over the front edge! He’s 3-under through 14 holes. It’s also a first US Open eagle for him in nine years. So far, at least, this is a great start.
Back to the par-5 5th and the wind is whistling again. Tommy Fleetwood and Ludvig Åberg find the edge of the green in two. But Rory McIlroy. with what David Howell suggests is an 8 or 9-iron, gets the ball to settle just 11 feet from the flag. A two-putt from there will tie the lead of Sam Stevens on 2-under. One putt will vault him into the lead all on his own.
This time last year the American Ethan Fang had just won the Amateur Championship at Royal St George’s in Sandwich. When told that his surname was gold for headline writers, he smiled. cried: “That’s the aim!” Alas, there will be no headlines for him today. Still an amateur, his opening round of 74 was solid though.
To the 597-yard par-5 5th. “I get the feeling Rory McIlroy is going to actually send this drive,” says Mel Reid. Paul McGinley adds that he suspects we will see a 400-yard drive this week. “We might just have seen it,” chuckles Ewen Murray. Nearly. 396 yards, in fact. It’s the easiest hole on the course today and a birdie would see him join the lead.
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